Thinking outside the box

I'm more than willing to be corrected on this, but why do shrinks have anything to do with brains? As far as I know, the cerebrum is the central point for the nervous system. And as far as I know, neurologists practice neurology and are experts in things to do with neurons and the nervous system, which would probably mean they're experts in things like brains.

That means psychiatrists must be real experts in things to do with psyches. According to current definitions... oh, there isn't a current definition for psyches. There are verbs for psyche but there's only one noun listed in the online dictionary for psyche and that refers to psychology. You can probably see where I'm going with this. It begs the question: what are psychiatrists doing playing around with brains? Does this mean psychiatrists are now neurologists?

This line of questioning started when I read the story in a London paper called the Ealing Gazette about a psychiatrist Dr Michael Maier who has a collection of 6,000 brains coming at him. The collection was started 50 years ago to try and unlock the causes of mental illess.

Fifty years later, I guess psychiatrists are still trying to find the answers. The report says the collection is still being used worldwide to try and combat current illness so that means they haven't worked it out yet. I don't have a degree in the bleeding obvious, but could it have something to do with the fact mental illness doesn't have anything to do with brains? Again, I'm not an expert and I repeat, I'm willing to be corrected on this.

I know it's asking alot, but it might be worth it if psychiatrists started thinking outside the usual parameters. They might realise they're talking aload of boxes.

All paid for by me and you

A story in the London Informer revealed how a care worker in the mental health system was committing sexual offences against a person supposedly being cared for at the Hammersmith and Fulham Mental Health Unit, based in the Charing Cross Hospital in London.

Matthew Jones, 29, admitted to a two-year campaign of sexual assault on a female patient. It's as if those working in the mental health system think they can get away with various shenanigans by saying the victim isn't well, delusional, making up stories, and needs more drugs to shut them up, or should that be "...needs more drugs to help them through their very difficult illness?"

The organisation responsible for the Unit is the West London Mental Health Trust, the same Trust that looks after and governs Broadmoor Hospital. I guess you could say it hasn't been a good time for the Trust recently. There's been the news about Peter Bryan the cannibal and the failings of the Trust, then there was a purported story about a nurse getting up to no good with a patient, and now this.

All paid for by me and you.